Beam for fabric treatment



Feb. 15, 195 w. J. NEWCOMB ETAL 2,701,957

BEAM FOR FABRIC TREATMENT Filed July 26. 1954 D N X N N i Q p q if INVENTOR 4 N Z VaZzfer J/Ve'wcomb i Edwin ff WZZz'amswz Q BYMWO, flwy W S 7 ATTORNEYS United States Patent BEAM FOR FABRIC TREATMENT Walter J. Neweomh, Graham, and Edwin H. Williamson, Burlington, N. (1., amlgnors to Burlington Engineering gommy, Inc Graham, N. C., a corporation of North Application July 26, 1954, Serial No. 445,504

3 Claims. (Cl. 68-198) This invention relates to beams for supporting textile fabrics during the treatment thereof with fluids. Woven and knitted textile materials, particularly tricot fabrics, are commonly subjected to many treatments with liquids, vapors and gases for the pu ses of bleaching, dyeing, washing and the like, by winding the fabric on perforated hollow cores and causing dye liquids or other fluids to pass throughthe fabric roll in radial direction, from the inside of the core outwardly. In such fabric treatments, a prime consideration is the uniformity of treatment applied to all parts of the materiaL. For good results,

at care must be exercised to insure thorough and even fl u id penetration of the fabric roll. This is especially critical in dyeing, as any variations in treatment of the fabric may produce variations in shade or other detrimental results leading to rejection and waste of the product.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved fabric supporting beam, adapted for fluid treatment of fabrics wound thereon with out standing efiiciency and uniformity.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fabric treatment beam of minimum weight and great strength.

Another object is to provide a textile supporting beam of simplified design, readily manufactured from stock materials at low cost.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a fabric supporting beam offering minimum resistance to fluid flow therethrough, and adapted to enhance the uniformity of fluid flow through all portions of its periphery adapted to be covered by fabric.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide improved beam structure on which fabrics may be bleached, washed, dyed and otherwise treated with fabrics and dried in a thorough and uniform manner with minimum handling. Further objects will be in part evident and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention and the novel features thereof may best be made clear by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the beam of Figure 1, looking toward the left-hand end thereof;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is an elevational sectional view, on enlarged scale, of the end support structure of the beam of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises an outer cylindrical metal wrapper 10, which may be constructed, for example, of twelve-gauge stainless steel sheet. The wrapper may comprse imperforate end sections 11 and a perforated central section 12, the end sections being seam welded to the central section as at 13. The central section is perforated preferably with a plurality of relatively small, closely spaced holes 14, to comprise a substantial total open area, which may be as much as 50% or more of the total area of the perforated section.

At each end of the wrapper is provided end support means (see Figure 4), which includes, in the preferred embodiment, an annular, centrally apertured end plate 15, suitably joined to the end of the wrapper as by welding. In the central opening of each end plate 15 is fixed a cylindrical end band 16, disposed coaxially with the wrapper and extending outwardly beyond the end there- 2,701,951 Patented Feb. 15, 19 55 of. Inside each end band 16 is mounted an annular, centrally apertured end ring 17, and from the end ring a cylindrical seal ring 18 extends outwardly beyond the confines of the end band 16.

Each end band 16 is provided with a lifting element such as lifting hook 19, the books at opposite ends of thebeam being axially aligned. Each end plate 15 is provided at its outer edge with an air vent hole 20, the air ventholes being aligned with the books 19 in order to be positioned normally. at the top of the beam. Each end plate 15 is also provided at its outer edge with drain means, such as the plug 21 threadably engaged in a bushing 22 The drain plugs 21 are angularly offset from the air vent holes 20, whereby when the beam is positioned by means of its lifting hooks the drains will be at the bottom of the beam.

The beam is of considerably extended axial length as compared to its diameter, usually ranging in length from five to ten times the diameter. Since the wrapper is relatively thin walled, the extended length of the beam necssitates some form of interior reinforcement, to effect the requisite stiffness and resistance to bending moment. For this purpose, reinforcing members of outstanding simplicity and effectiveness are provided. These comprise spaced brace rings 23 disposed inside the wrapper in planes normal to the axis thereof, the outer peripheral edge 24 of each brace ring being suitably joined to the wrapper, preferably by welding. These brace rings may be constructed of flat stainless steel stock and may be, by way of example, one-eighth inch thick and one inch in radial direction.

Each brace ring is reinforced by a continuous laterally extending flange 25, which is spaced from the outer peripheral edge 24 and preferably joined as by welding to the inner edge of the brace ring. The flange 25 in the example noted may also be constructed of suitably formed flat stainless steel stock one-eighth inch by one inch. As will be evident, the flanged brace rings in the illustrative embodiment constitute an L structure in cross section. If desired, flanges may extend from either side of the brace ring to constitute a T section, or the bracering may be otherwise reinforced. The essential feature of the brace ring resides in its outer peripheral edge 24 which is of minimum thickness, whereby it may be welded or otherwise joined to the wrapper over an area of minimum width. In this manner, the peripheral area of the perforated section of the wrapper is internally blocked by the brace rings to minimum extent, over circumferential bands so small in width that the brace rings may be attached to the wrapper between adjacent rows of perforations, and such mode of attachment is preferred. In use, fabric to be treated with fluid is wound upon the beam in the form of a roll, which may be of considerable thickness. For example, in the case of a tricot, several thousand yards may be wound on a beam eighteen inches in diameter. The perforated central section 12 of the beam will normally correspond substantially in length to the width of the fabric roll, and may extend the entire length of the wrapper. Normally, the perforated central section of the wrapper will be slightly less than the width of the fabric roll, so that when wound thereon the fabric will extend slightly beyond the limits of the perforated section to preclude outward passage of fluid except through the fabric.

When a roll of fabric has been wound onto the beam, the beam may be engaged by its lifting hooks 19, and positioned thereby in a suitable dye vat or other fluid treatment apparatus, the end bands 16 serving to support the beam in such apparatus in saddles or the like. Suspension of the wound beam by its lifting hooks automatically positions the air vent holes 20 at the top of the beam and the drain plugs 21 at the bottom thereof.

Fluid-tight contact may then be made with the outerv substantially uniform, the fluid is distributed throughout the fabric roll and passes evenly and equally therethrough in all directions.

Some fluid, of course, escapes through the air vent holes 20, which serve to prevent entrapment of air in the upper end portions of the beam. This is desirable and sometimes essential, as trapped pockets of air inside the beam have been found to frequently interfere with even fluid distribution.

The brace rings 23, it will be noted, are the only reinforcing elements in the interior of the beam, and are positioned and designed so as not to interfere with fluid flow and distribution. In fact, the brace rings appear to enhance the uniformity of fluid distribution,

robably by effecting a sort of compartmentation. That 18, the brace rings appear to equalize the fluid pressure and flow in peripheral beam sections between adjacent brace rings, and among the several sections so defined. The brace ring flanges 25 are spaced adequately from the beam wrapper so as to exert substantially no influence on the flow thereto.

When the fluid treatment of the fabric has been completed, the seal rings 18 may be disengaged from the dye vat or other treatment apparatus, and the interior of the beam emptied therethrough. Any fluid remaining in the bottom of the beam may be readily drained by means of plugs 21, and the wound beam may then be lifted and transported to other equipment for further treatment, unwinding or the like.

It will be understood that the above detailed description has been made only for purposes of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. On the contrary, the scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A fabric treatment beam comprising an outer cylindrical wrapper of extended axial length as compared to its diameter, at least the major portion of said wrapper being perforated to permit free passage of fluid therethrough, and end support structures joined to said wrapper, said end support structures being disposed wholly within the peripheral projection of said wrapper and including centrally apertured annular end lates joined to the ends of said wrapper, cylindrical enti bands in the central apertures of said end dglates and extending outwardly beyond the wrapper en a lifting element fixed to each of said end bands, said lifting elements being aligned with each other, each end plate having an air vent hole at its outer edge in alignment with said lifting elements, and drain means in each of said end plates at the outer edge thereof, said drain means being angularly oflset from said air vent holes.

2. A fabric treatment beam comprising an outer cylindrical wrapper of extended axial length as compared to its diameter, at least the major portion of said wrapper being perforated to. permit free passage of fluid therethrough, end support structures joined to said wrapper, said end support structures being disposed wholly within the peripheral pro'ection of said wrapper and including centrally aperture annular end plates joined to the ends of said wrapper, cylindrical end bands fixed in the central apertures of said end plates and extending outwardly beyond the wrapper ends, a lifting element fixed to each of said and bands, said lifting elements being aligned with each other, each end plate having an air vent hole at its outer edge in alignment with said lifting elements, and drain means in each'of said end plates at the outer edge thereof, said drain means being angularly oflset 180' from said air vent holes, and a plurality of spaced brace rings disposed inside said wrapper in planes normal to the axis thereof, the outer peripheral edge of each brace ring being joined to said wrapper, each brace ring including a continuous lateral reinforcing flange spaced from the outer peripheral edge thereof.

3. A beam as defined in claim 2, including cylindrical seal rings mounted coaxially within said end bands and extending outwardly therebeyond.

RelereneesCltedinthefileofthispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,125,803 Brandwood Ian. 19, 1915 1,404,634 Morton Ian. 24, 1922 1,730,025 Walker Oct. 1, 1929 

